“Victor Wembanyama Is an Avatar”: DeAndre Jordan Praises Spurs’ Young Star With Comparison to James Cameron’s Character

Victor Wembanyama’s improvement has been one of the key points of discussion early in the 2024-2025 season. DeAndre Jordan is among the many individuals from the basketball community to be left in awe, leading to the Nuggets player dishing out a unique praise.

In an appearance on Run It Back, Jordan stated that a player like Wembanyama couldn’t be scouted. The Frenchman is more skilled than a traditional center. The youngster is capable of dribbling, shooting, passing, and defending equally well. But Jordan was a lot more accurate when comparing Wemby’s physical attributes to that of an Avatar.

The character in James Cameron’s popular fiction movie is usually ten feet tall. The 2024 Rookie of the Year is 7ft 4” tall with a release point of 9ft 9” on his jump shot. Additionally, the Spurs star’s agility and athleticism are comparable to that of an Avatar, as both navigate through challenging terrain or situations effortlessly.

“He’s somebody who you can’t really scout for, I think. I mean, he’s an avatar. He can shoot the basketball, he can handle it, and he literally can alter or block any shot that comes into the paint,” the 2023 champ said.

“[Victor Wembanyama is] extremely skilled, he can shoot the basketball, he can handle it and he literally can alter or block any shot that comes into the paint.” – @DeAndre Jordan

Is there anything @wemby can’t do? pic.twitter.com/HBPtAT1rSn

— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) December 12, 2024

Jordan also talked about how Chris Paul will benefit Wembanyama. As already seen through 24 games of the season, Wemby has drastically improved multiple aspects of his game since CP3’s arrival.

With Wemby proving to be highly coachable, learning the nuances of the game from the “Point God” could transform him into a future MVP candidate.

“Playing with a guy like Chris, who can help him become more of a student of the game and break things down and just be a little bit more two steps ahead, that’s going to help him a lot… Chris is going to talk and he’s going to let you know everything about the game, and I think that’s going to be great for him and the rest of that team,” Jordan concluded.

The addition of Paul has witnessed a rise in the team’s performance. While they are still placed 11^th in the stacked Western Conference, fans will be motivated to see that Spurs have a .500 record. Backed by the Paul-Wemby duo, the Spurs can be a dark horse if the team remains healthy throughout the season.